2010 PROGRAM     PAST PROGRAMS     ABOUT US     PREVIOUS FILMS / FILMMAKERS     SUBMITTING FILMS     CONTACT US     It’s not often these days that every film in a film festival, large, small, mainstream, even fringe, is truly independent - ie fully self-funded. This spirit of artists doing it for themselves is exactly the kind of spirit that drives Electric Shorts. When Jim Stamatakos, founder and one of the coordinators of Electric Shorts, a night of twelve short films, found out there weren’t any film events planned for this years’ Fringe Festival, he decided to do it himself. “We want to inspire upcoming film-makers to do what they’re passionate about. And get their work out there. If you wait around for money from funding bodies or private backers before you start a film, you might be waiting a long time, and your work, your vision might never be seen by anyone.” Jim and Leonie Somerville-Smith, co-ordinators of Electric Shorts and both film-makers themselves (who, by the way, have never received any financial support for their films from the government or private enterprise) have put together a programme of films which display different styles and cover a range of themes, created by twelve film-makers from diverse backgrounds. But lest anyone think independent and diverse means amateurish and uninteresting, they can think again. The films will compel, excite in all manner of ways, entertain, shock perhaps, provide insight, elicit empathy and possibly, lead to catharsis - everything films can do but often don’t). After the screening, there’ll be time, opportunity and inclination (at least on the film-makers’ part) for film-makers and audience to engage in whatever they’d like to engage in (hopefully a bit of dialogue triggered by the films) over a drink or two.